IDS ranked in top two of international development think tanks

2 February 2018

For immediate release, Friday 2 February, 2018

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has been ranked second out of 132 international development think tanks in the 2017 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, moving up two places from it’s ranking in the 2016 index. The Institute has also been ranked fourth out of 90 university-affiliated think tanks, a reflection of our important and long-standing partnership with the University of Sussex.

The index report by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the Lauder Institute of the University of Pennsylvania was first published in 2006. The index catalogues nearly 8,000 think tanks globally and over 4,000 journalists, academics, donors and policy makers as part of the nominations process.

IDS Director Melissa Leach said:

"We are delighted to be ranked in the world’s top four international development and university-affiliated think tanks.

This ranking reflects IDS’ work with partners across governments, NGOs and businesses to deliver high quality and relevant research that can be applied to tackling real-life global challenges such as sustainability, inequality and poverty reduction.

It is also a recognition of our more than fifty-year collaboration with the University of Sussex, which has generated a range of world-class and high-impact international development research and teaching programmes."

In 2017, QS University Rankings ranked the University of Sussex with IDS first in the world for development studies. This was the third consecutive year that the University has been ranked in the top two universities globally for development.

Notes to Editors:

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) is a leading global institution for development research, teaching and learning, and impact and communications, based at the University of Sussex. See www.ids.ac.uk for more information.

The Global Go To Think Tank Index is the result of an international survey of over 7,500 scholars, public and private donors, policy makers, and journalists who helped rank more than 6,600 think tanks using a set of 28 criteria developed by the TTCSP. https://www.gotothinktank.com/

The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the Lauder Institute, University of Pennsylvania conducts research on the role policy institutes play in governments and in civil societies around the world. https://www.gotothinktank.com/